Matthew 5:10-12, Revelation 2:10-11: Peloris Determination

 Presented to TSA AV Men's and Women's Breakfast, 18 May 2024 by Major Michael Ramsay

  

 

Pelorus Jack was a Risso's dolphin that was famous for meeting and escorting ships through a stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand., a notoriously dangerous channel used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson.

 

Pelorus Jack was first seen around 1888 when he appeared in front of the schooner Brindle when the ship approached French Pass, a channel located between D'Urville Island and the South Island. When the members of the crew saw the dolphin bobbing up and down in front of the ship, they wanted to kill him, but the captain's wife talked them out of it. To their amazement, the dolphin then proceeded to guide the ship through the narrow channel. And for years thereafter, he safely guided almost every ship that came by. With rocks and strong currents, the area is dangerous to ships, but no shipwrecks occurred when Jack was present.

 

In 1904, someone aboard the SS Penguin tried to shoot Pelorus Jack with a rifle. Despite the attempt on his life, Pelorus Jack continued to help ships.

 

Many sailors and travellers saw Pelorus Jack, and he was mentioned in local newspapers and depicted in postcards.

 

Jack was last seen in April 1912

 

Like Jack, We have to never weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). For whoever loses their life for Christ’s sake will gain eternal life (Mattew 10:39). Therefore, like Jack, let us continue on helping others no matter what persecution we suffer for indeed as we are faithful even unto death we will indeed receive the crown of life.

Psalm 3: A Psalm of David

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay, 14 August 2022

  

Psalm 3 is the first psalm ascribed to King David in the book of Psalms.[1] This psalm is a poem, a song which David wrote when he was in great distress. It may even have been sung to a tune at the time.[2]

David had some serious problems and they were exasperated by his relationships with his own family. At this point in his life, when this psalm was written, David has already lost some of his children. Some of their deaths and other tragedies are at least partially his fault. David owes a lot to his family – both good and bad, like all of us. God used his nephews to help put him in power and certainly to keep him there. More than one of David’s sons rebelled against him – not only as dad – but also as King.

David wrote this poem, this song, this psalm, as he was fleeing his son who desires to replace his dad as king (cf. 2 Samuel 16-19). Absalom probably feels quite justified attacking his father given their family dynamics and the way that his dad has dealt with him and his brothers and sister.[3] Absalom in his rebellion has just slept with his father’s concubines, turned some of David’s supporters and extended family against him and Absalom is in full rebellion – Absalom is his son.

David’s nephew Joab, who has had a lot of conflict with David and has done probably more than many others to protect David’s life and his throne, is leading David’s army. David is so distraught that he seems to care more about his son who is rebelling against him and his family than about the rest of his family, his loyal servants, soldiers, concubines, and others who love and serve him - or even himself. His supporters notice this and feel this pain and some act on their feelings as the king is not leading here.

It is in this context when David, some of his family, and his supporters are fleeing for their lives and he sees that many in his own family and close circle of friends and advisors are rising up against him that he writes this poem, this song, this psalm. He writes, verses 1 and 2:

 

1 Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

2 Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

 

David is a leader. How many times do we read of yet another scandal in the news affecting our Prime Ministers and think, surely, this is it! Surely, he won’t be re-elected again! In Britain, the Conservatives have just risen up against their PM and he is a Conservative, a member of their own party and they are replacing him. Foes arose from within his own political family as well as from without.

David’s political foes are not just members of his own party; they are also members of his own family, and they are not looking to only replace him. They are probably looking to kill him.

None of us in this room lead any countries or political parties (as far as I know). But some of us have certainly led within the church and some of us have led other organizations. I know, as well as being one Officer in charge here and previously elsewhere, I am currently on a number of boards and committees, trying to give leadership. I know that at times in the past it has sometimes felt like everyone was against me. I know I have had times when I thought many were hoping for my downfall and I can’t imagine what it would feel like if those people were my own children. David is downcast but he does have some solace. He writes, verses 3 and 4:

 

3 But You, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

4 I call out to the Lord,

and He answers me from His holy mountain.

 

The Lord is a shield; the word is even more than a shield in Hebrew; it is something akin to a protective forcefield. The Lord is our protection.[4] This is a key comfort. I have just written a book about Salvation.[5] I just spoke at the Summer Rain Evangelism Festival/Crusade this past weekend (though it seems like a millions years ago now). This stanza is a key element of salvation. Salvation is for the future. Salvation is for eternity but Salvation isn’t only for the future; Salvation isn’t only for eternity; Salvation is also for now. We need and can have Salvation now!

We will all go through terrible times; we will all go through hard times; we will all go through sad times; we may go through times of unimaginable peril or terror but we can always call on the Name of the Lord; we can always call out to the Lord. He will answer us. God will be with us. He will keep us. He will sustain us. Verses 5 and 6:

 

5 I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I will not fear though tens of thousands

assail me on every side.

 

David sounds like he has been may have even been tempted to be justifiably afraid here – certainly overwhelmed and sad. He is at the end of his own emotional resources. The security he thought he was surrounded by through family, friends, work, leadership, kingship and kinship has crumbled. He reaches out to the Lord and he realizes that he need not be afraid. He is not afraid. God is in charge. God is in charge through everything. God is even in charge of whether or not David will even wake up from one morning to the next. The Lord loves him; the Lord sustains him.

The Lord loves us; the Lord sustains us. It is the Lord who allows us to open our eyes every morning; it is the Lord who gives us the strength to carry on. It is the Lord who – no matter what else happens, no matter what goes sideways in life, no matter what collapses, no matter who may betray us, no matter what we mess up, no matter what may collapse beneath us, it is the Lord who will never leave us or forsake us.[6] And so we can pray in confidence, like Dave, Verses 7 and 8:

 

7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.[7]

8 From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people.

 

The Lord did deliver David. It was not, however, all roses and happy songs. He did lose his son; he seem to have finally broken with his nephew; he almost lost his crown; he was completely humbled. It was a sad, sad time. Even his coming through it does not turn it into a personal celebration; it was sad. But he did come through it. The Lord delivered him. The Lord continued to bless him in the midst of his distress.

This is the reality of our lives: sometimes we have tough times; sometimes we have times so tough that it does not seem that we can even get through them. Sometimes life is unbearably sad, sometimes life is hard, sometimes life is… life.

But this is Salvation. God will be with us in the midst of our darkest hour. God will be with us in our saddest time. God will be with us when we feel most alone. He can and He will deliver us both for today and for forever.

If anyone here does not know God, if anyone here would like to turn to Him so He can help with whatever and everything that is going on in your life, just let me or Susan or any soldier here know and we will be happy to introduce you to God and He will help you; He will never leave you nor forsake you for even and especially when we are most humbled, His blessings will be poured out upon us, His people.

 

Let us pray.

 

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---

[1] Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK I: Psalms 1-41/Psalm 3: Quietness Amid Troubles, Book Version: 4.0.2

[2] Peter C. Craigie, 'Psalms 1-50', 2nd ed. (WBC 19: Word Books: Dallas, Texas, 2004), 72.

[3] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, 2 Samuel 13-18: Taking Matters in His Own Hands: the Story of Prince Absalom. Presented to Nipawin and Tisdale Corps November 18, 2007 and 614 Warehouse Toronto 230 pm service, Aug 20, 2017. Available on-line: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/11/2-samuel-13-18-taking-matters-in-his.html

[4] Cf. Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 1: Psalms 1-57’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, pages 24.

[5] Michael Ramsay, Salvogesis Guidebook to Romans Road, Vancouver Island, BC: The Salvation Army, 2022.

[6] Cf. Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 1: Psalms 1-57’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, page 29

[7] Peter C. Craigie, 'Psalms 1-50', 2nd ed. (WBC 19: Word Books: Dallas, Texas, 2004),75.: this may not be as violent a phrase as it sounds like, it may merely mean that the wicked words are silenced

Psalm 126: Imagine

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 24 October 2021, by Captain Michael Ramsay

1 When the Lord restored the people,

we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then it was said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3 The Lord has done great things for us,

and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like the watercourses in the Negeb.

5 May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

6 Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

carrying their sheaves.

 

Imagine this with me. You get up and get ready for your day. You head out to pick up some groceries before doing whatever else you have planned for the day. You don’t have a mask. You don’t go back to your car to get a mask; you don’t have one there either. You don’t go all the way back home; you have no idea where one might be there even though not long ago you had 2 or 3 readily accessible everywhere. You don’t have a mask. You don’t know where you might find one. But here is the thing – imagine this: You don’t need a mask. You don’t have to look for one because no one asks for you to wear one. 

 

Imagine then that you go for brunch with a friend. The is no hand sanitizer at the door. There are no directional arrows on the floor or the wall. No one meets you at the door or at your table asking to see your papers or scan your vaccine passport. Imagine that the table next to you is full of your friends. Imagine that you shake hands with your friends or even –if you are a hugger – hug. Imagine your friends ask you to join them. Imagine that the waitstaff pulls a table up to theirs for you and your friends to all sit down together. Imagine that you go up to the counter to pay the bill when you are done and there is no plexiglass separating you and the host or hostess. 

Imagine then that you go to a coffee shop with a friend later in the day. You drive there while listening to the radio and you don’t hear about any new covid-19 cases. You get to the coffee shop early so you check your phone or a newspaper while you are waiting and you see no news of a pandemic. You wait in line and are so close that you accidently touch the person in front of you – and neither of you notices! Imagine that as you stand in this line while people are talking all around you and you don’t hear anyone complaining about daily or weekly changes to the rules that guide our society. Your friend arrives, the two of you have a conversation and out of nowhere Covid-19 does come up in the conversation but neither of you can remember the names Dr. Bonnie, Dr. Tam, or Dr. Fauci or Dr. whomever else. 

Imagine then that you go home at night – you are afraid to go to sleep because you may wake up and realize this is all just a dream. You wake up the next morning... and... it’s true. Covid-19, the pandemic is just a memory. People’s fear and anguish about the virus is just a memory. People’s confusion and anger about what to do about it is just a memory.  

This Psalm is very much like that. It was probably written either while or just after the people of Israel were in exile or when they were in some other significant predicament.  The people of Israel were experiencing or anticipating a ‘new normal’ with all of the challenges that that inevitably held. Not everyone survived the exile. People in subsequent generations suffered and died. Individuals never saw their homes again. It got to the point where people thought that the time that they were going through was never going to end – and then it did. They got through it.

God got them through it. This was very likely a psalm that was sung regularly by pilgrims as they approached Jerusalem remembering and praising God for seeing them through this time.  When people did return it was not the same as before. There were many challenges ahead. But today in this psalm there is much celebration! God has delivered them just as God is delivering and will deliver us through the pandemic

Just like we can imagine the joy in our lives when this pandemic comes to an end, the author of this psalm captured the moment of excitement for the people. It is like the end of a war or the end of a plague, a global pandemic. We are in that moment now of dreaming of times to come, like many did in the Bible and many have done since and before. It is important that psalms like this are recorded and repeated (as they were)  because soon people forget about all the things that people suffered through and in times of prosperity people forget about all that God has brought us through – how faithful He is to us. It doesn’t take long to forget. But we need to remember because remembering is hope for we know that just as God has got us through predicaments in the past, He will get us through predicaments in the future and He will get us through this one now.  He is faithful!

Picture yourself in the hopefully very near future, months from now even when this is all over. Now imagine a year or two down the road. Imagine explaining to someone a few years from now about what it was like when the whole world once-upon-a-time had a lockdown. Imagine explaining to them how people had to isolate for two weeks if they went to certain places or saw certain people. Imagine explaining that all school was homeschool or online from Spring break until the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Imagine explaining to people how churches, restaurants, businesses, and many other things were actually forcibly shut down for months. Imagine explaining to people how you weren’t allowed to visit your parents and grandparents in seniors’ homes for months on end. Imagine explaining that some people were actually denied their last rites (or equivalent) by Health Authority staff or administrators. Imagine explaining to people that you weren’t even allowed to visit your sick and injured children in the hospital. Imagine explaining that there were actually many people who never or very rarely even left their homes for the better part of a year or more. Imagine explaining to someone that many people stopped going to work and either quit, went on leave, or worked from home for a long time, a year or more without going into the office. Imagine trying to explain to people that after the businesses slowly opened that your friend lost their job because they couldn’t actually get a government approved injection. Imagine telling someone how you personally were turned away from a restaurant once because your phone died and you forgot your laminated version of a vaccine passport. Imagine explaining to someone a few years from now what a vaccine passport even is! Imagine explaining to someone that feeling you have when you walk all the way across a parking lot to the store only to get to the door, realize that you don’t have a mask, and have to walk all the way back to your car. Imagine explaining to someone that – yes – you actually did have a facemask in your car. Imagine showing someone pictures of the different masks and visors we wore. Imagine Covid-19 as a distant memory. Imagine being able to gather and celebrate and enjoy life without so much of a thought to any of these things. Imagine the pandemic as a memory that fades so much that we actually have to strain to remember the details of the plague! Imagine! Imagine when we will say:

 

Psalm 126

1 When the Lord restored us,

we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then it was said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3 The Lord has done great things for us,

and we rejoiced.

 

 Let it be, Lord; Let it be. Verse 4ff: 

 

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like the watercourses in the Negeb.

5 May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

6 Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

carrying their sheaves.

Let us pray.

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Thanksgiving: The Secret to Survival (Philippians 4:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:17)

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 12 October 2021 (Thanksgiving) by Captain Michael Ramsay

 

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday. Thanksgiving in Canada is to a “day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.” [1] When we were on the prairies, this took on a whole new meaning to me. We came to know a little more what was meant by planting season and harvesting season and we could even tell you what kind of combine you were driving based on the colour of the vehicle. Thanksgiving for the harvest was a real part of life.

 

            Today, in the context of what is going on in the world and in the Army, I want to spend a little bit of time chatting about the power of a spirit of thanksgiving in our lives. It really is something that God can use to get us through even the darkest of times. This is what a spirit of thanksgiving looks like:

 

• Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
• Ephesians 5:19-20: Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

For those of us who were here last week, I shared a lot of the anguish and personal struggles that I am still having relating to Covid-19, Vaccine Mandates, The Salvation Army, my responsibilities to God, the Army, and the people under my care.[3] There is more as well.

 

            The previous few weeks have been tough and I know that the past year and a bit has been tough on a lot of people. Orange shirt day the other week was very significant. We marked the truth of a very real tragedy.

 

            The pandemic is not seemingly getting any better. It is still here. People are getting sick. People are dying. People are being discriminated against. People are being persecuted. Community is being destroyed. People are being laid off.

 

There are people who may need to be laid off, put on leave or even fired here. Employees and volunteers are not around. I can’t even hire the people I need to hire now. In some cases people can’t afford to work. I know of one person who is not working because in order to be able to afford dental, he needs to be on social assistance. He is being removed from being able to contribute to the work force, to society as an employee. I know others who simply because they are unable to be vaccinated are being removed from community in that same very way.

 

The debt that our country has acquired during this plague is beyond what can be even understood in terms of trying to pay it back – and the basic needs we will have to go without in the future if that is ever going to happen is terrifying.

 

Violence is really bad both in word and in deed in our world. Social media hate is choking so many people. And hearing from people who live in the US, I get the impression that the violence is so out-of-control down there that it is dangerous to even be outside in the evenings in many of their metropolitan areas.

 

The opioid crisis in BC and Port Alberni is beyond comprehension. I can go on. I won’t. We all know these are scary times. The question is, in these scary, difficult times, how can we get through it? How can we survive?

 

            In these scary times God, through Paul’s letters offers us some ways we can get through this. Paul talks about a spirit of thanksgiving and rejoicing. He offers us this council about how to get through tough times. He says, among other things:

 

• Rejoice always,  
• pray continually,
• Let your gentleness be evident to all
• give thanks in all circumstances.

 

REJOICE ALWAYS

The first secret to surviving difficult times is to rejoice always. If we can find something to rejoice in each day and if we can focus upon that rather than on all the things pulling us down, our spirit we be lifted up and we can get through it.

 

PRAY CONTINUALLY

Another vital key to survival is prayer. Prayer is extremely important. I can’t tell you the number of people I have had the chance to pray with in this last little while: people who are missing loved ones; people who have lost loved ones; people who are concerned about serious health issues - and then there are those who have come to me in much anguish and tears due to discrimination and persecution for their beliefs and -of course, as we are in a pandemic – there are those as well who are afraid for their lives. I thank all those who have been praying for me as well. With all the things that I have had on my heart and mind, I certainly need it. Prayer is vital to survival. As we pray together, we are joined to God with one another in a bond as strength. Let us not stop praying for one another together.

 

BE GENTLE

That brings us to another very important part of living with a spirit of thanksgiving that is key to surviving our struggles in community and even in the Church and that is to be gentle with one another. This can be difficult. By common consent, we are a divided people right now. Name your issue, people are polarized. People are upset. People are angry. People are afraid. Watch the different news channels, scroll through social media. Society is divided. The church is divided. Even clergy and Officers in our own Salvation Army are divided.

 

 I have prayed many times with my colleagues over the previous couple of weeks – more than ever before. Because of this, relating to one issue (Covid-19 and vaccine mandates) in particular, one Officer has recently arranged the opportunity for all of the Officers in BC to come together in a prayer zoom meeting this upcoming week. I hope we do. Prayer is so important – but there have already been some apparently snarky, seemingly self-righteous responses to even that invitation to prayer. This is tragedy. Officers, spiritual leaders we need to be gentle with one another; congregation members, we need to be gentle with one another; staff members, we need to be gentle with one another; family members, we need to be gentle with one another; friends and social media friends, we need to be gentle with one another if we hope to survive. We need to be gentle with one another. We need to be thankful for one another. We need to be thankful for what God is doing through each and everyone of us.

 

BE THANKFUL

The spirit of thankfulness. This spirit of Thanksgiving is so important to our very survival. When everything around us seems to be crashing down and everyone seems to be unkind and violent in thought, word, and deed; it is imperative that we find what is right and thank God for that!  If we only focus on all the trials and tribulations around us, we will be swallowed up by them. If we just look at the storms of life, we will miss the lifeboat. Mark my words, my friends, the chaos of our world is a turbulent as a storm at sea. You or I may even have been tossed overboard and maybe we are gasping for air trying to survive. If we just focus on the waves of all that is going wrong that is all we will see.

 

If we, however quickly, scan the horizon looking for the things God is sending us that can pull us through, we will be okay. Look around: see the miracles that are happening on a daily basis; see the people God is using for good in the world; notice how He is using you and others to help people; It is only when we look for and focus on the good things that God as provided for our salvation that we can grab a hold of them. This is what will create in us a thankful heart and a joyful spirit, this is what will make it so that we don’t need to be anxious in anything.

 

On this Thanksgiving Day in Canada, I would like to encourage us to look around for the things we can be thankful for, the ways that God is seeing us through the storm and thank Him for them. For if we can thank the Lord for what He is doing in those beside us while the whole world seems to be in chaos, if we can thank the Lord for the daily miracles that we see, if we can thank the Lord for each other and what the Lord is doing through each and every one of us than we might just get through this.

 

Let us pray

 [1] Quote from an act of the Canadian parliament 31 January 1957

BENEDICTION:

Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

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Lessons form our European Covid Tour 2020 (Deuteronomy 31:6, Proverbs 17:22, Matthew 6:25-34, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 6:12 & 10:23-24,Philippians 4:19

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 02 August 2020 by Captain Michael Ramsay

This Flight Tonight

Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

We were on vacation in Europe in March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the continent full force. I never really had a chance to chat with us as a congregation about our trip. It is August now and today is only my second time speaking with you here since March. I don’t think anyone could have predicted all this. Today, I thought that I would share some thoughts from our time away.

On our flight to Europe Sarah-Grace and I were watching movies with sub-titles (we didn't have headphones). One very funny movie we watched was Blended about these two previously married people falling in love and their families coming together. The lady was divorced. The man's wife had died of cancer. Sarah-Grace and I were laughing out loud so much that Susan (who was sitting a couple of rows up with Heather) came to see us. She asked what we were watching that was so funny; all she could find was some sad movie about some lady who died of cancer. It wasn't the same movie but Sarah-Grace and I couldn't help laughing all the more! The possibility that her not funny movie was exactly the same movie as our funny movie to us was very funny!

Now, of course, there is nothing funny about someone dying of cancer or Coronavirus or anything else for that matter. But a lot of our healing and wholeness comes from how we remember and how we process things over time. In the midst of all the sadness, anxiety, and real tragedy in our world at this time I encourage each of us to look for someone to laugh with and something to celebrate: front line workers, volunteers, healing, recovery, friends, family, the Grace of God... It is my hope that even in the very real struggles of the pandemic and beyond that we will all find some joy today.

Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
     

A Much Need Sleep

Hebrews 13:5b and Deuteronomy 31:6b: God has said: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

Philippians 4:19: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Our first night in Europe - before we even could have guessed how COVID-19 was going to paralyze the world - we were exhausted. Susan and Sarah-Grace were so tired at 4pm that they just couldn’t stay awake. It had been a long day-and-a-half of travel (driving down to the states and then flying to Germany via Iceland) without much sleep for any of us. With Susan and Sarah-Grace asleep I took Heather to the park, the playground, and the grocery store so that we wouldn't disturb them. (This was before any lock downs or social distancing were in effect.) At the playground I made a mistake: I sat down. I sat on a bench while Heather was playing and I just could not stay awake! No matter what I did, I couldn’t stay awake - so we headed to the apartment.

When we got there we noticed that there were not enough beds for us and there were even less blankets. Sarah-Grace was sleeping on the couch with one blanket and Susan was sleeping on a very small double bed with the only other blanket we could find in the whole place. Cold and crowded, Heather and I lay down beside Susan and we soon fell asleep.

We slept for a few hours and then we were awake again because the conditions for sleep were not very good! We were cold and uncomfortable. We then left the bedroom and read quietly on the floor outside the washroom so as not to wake the others until morning.

It struck me that even though conditions were not conducive to a good night's sleep, when we were so tired that we could not possibly continue to go on, God granted us the rest we needed to survive: even though under other circumstances there is no way that we would be able to sleep like this, when we needed it the most God granted us rest regardless.

Since then, we like many others have been in and out of quarantine. The struggles and concerns surrounding the epidemic are everywhere still. As Salvationists we are doing our best to support our community, coordinating much online, by phone, and in person as we are able. We are working to feed and provide for those in need; we are praying for and encourage people both near and far.

One encouragement I have for all of us during the uncertainty and anxiety of our lives today is this: Just as when we desperately needed rest, the Lord provided it even though the conditions were not the best; so now with those of us who are struggling with isolation, fear and other covid-related and non-covid-related things, even when conditions are not the best, the Lord will provide. In the midst of our very real struggles, the Lord cares for us and He is here with us. He will neither leave us or forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5b and Deuteronomy 31:6b: God has said: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

Philippians 4:19: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Domo Arigato Mister: Autobahn:

1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23:

6:12: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

10:23-24: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

I did like driving in Germany. It was much better than driving in England. We were in England and Scotland in 2015 and I did not like driving in England – especially London. The roads are small and of course everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. I am still amazed that I didn’t get us all killed. It was a little tense.

Driving in Germany was very different. The roads were very nice. The highways were in great shape. We could drive on the right side of the road and, of course, in many places there is no speed limit. That was a lot of fun. The roads were large, open, and the traffic was very fast. I must admit that I really liked the idea of seeing how fast I could comfortably travel. After all, that was permissible for me; however, it was not necessarily beneficial.

Now there are a number of reasons why that it was not beneficial. The autobahn does post – not speed limits – recommended speeds to travel. If you would have an accident you would not have as good coverage with your insurance if you were traveling much quicker than the recommended speed, many things can happen at fast speeds, it isn’t necessarily as safe… but the main reason that driving very fast, though permissible, was not beneficial for me was… my wife didn’t like it… for all of those good reasons and more. You don’t want to upset your navigator when driving in a foreign country and, of course, you never want to upset your wife because you love her.

So while it was permissible to drive over the recommended speed it wasn’t beneficial. This is the same with a lot of our Covid regulations today in this country and province. Relating to masks, social gatherings, various events, etc.: 1 Corinthians 10:23-24: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. [however] No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

Dane-for-us Times

Matthew 6: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A lot of things went wrong with our trip. We did not see a lot of what we wanted to see. This was Sarah-Grace’s grad trip. Susan had been planning this for a long time down to the last detail and Sarah-Grace had been dreaming about it for a long time. I wanted to see especially the little mermaid statue in Copenhagen because when I was a child my great grandmother gave me a little statue of the little mermaid and so I have always wanted to see it – and we did – on the morning that we were fleeing Denmark because the army was going to seal of the border with Sweden, we were able to stop and pose for a picture with the mermaid before we fled over the bridge. There were many things that Susan planned to see too – mostly in Germany – that we didn’t get to see but we did get to see an ancient cathedral in Mainz where kings were crowned and we were able to see the Guttenberg Bible and we were able to see Hameln of Pied Piper fame before we had the flee Germany. Again we just made it over the border to Denmark in time and had a chat with some very nice military personnel on our way out.

Sarah-Grace, I think, was feeling more than a little bit upset. These things we saw in Germany - before we had to flee – were great but it was Denmark she wanted to see and the moment we got there everything was closed and it got really scary. We didn’t even know if we were going to be able to make it home at all. The Americans closed their border and we flew out of the US and now were not allowed to fly back. We were on the phone all night long with insurance agents who still refuse to reimburse us to this day and I am sure they never will. We were on the phone all night long with airlines trying to book new flights home by new routes. We were on the phone with relatives trying to find someone to pick up our car from the aero port so that we wouldn’t have to pay a million dollars to store it – we still haven’t been able to get it from the States. (The US seems much more willing and able to stop Canadians from entering the US than the other way around judging from our trip to the border the other day and seeing who is crossing from which direction) Our first night in Denmark is when everything shut down. I was on-line with our Member of Parliament who said we should come home now and so we were on the phone with relatives trying to beg borrow and not quite steal enough money to fly back home before our border closed.

There were so many things Sarah-Grace wanted to see in Denmark but Denmark was now closed. Anyone who knows Sarah-Grace knows she is a big music fan, particularly an 80’s rock music fan. She really wanted to see something to do with the band Metallica. She is a big fan and their drummer Lars Ulrich is from Denmark. This was one of the main reasons we were in Denmark. One night, the night before we had to leave the country, I was walking around the deserted streets of Copenhagen and I providentially stumbled across the Hard Rock Café in Copenhagen – and it was open! It was almost the only thing open in the whole city; so a ran back to the hotel as fast as I could and got Sarah-Grace, Susan, and Heather and we all went to the Hard Rock Café. We got to see Lars’ drum set, Slash’s guitar, a Curt Cobain guitar and many items of memorabilia from rock musicians. We even were able to request songs to be played at the restaurant. We had a good meal and a great time. The Lord really did provide this gift for Sarah-Grace, and all of us, right in the middle of all the worry – and there was a lot at this time – and right in the middle all of the very real struggles of our Life. The LORD, God gave us this gift.

And so it is with us today, Matthew 6:32-33, we don’t need to panic, to be overwhelmed with worry. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need and as we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness He will provide.

Philippians 4:19: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

For, Hebrews 13:5b and Deuteronomy 31:6b: God has said: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

Proverbs 17:22a "A joyful heart is good medicine...”

So Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Let us pray...

www.sheepspeak.com

https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis

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Paul J. Achtemeier, Romans. Interpretation: (Atlanta, Georgia: John Knox Press, 1985)

M. Eugene Boring, Matthew (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995)

N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans (NIB 10: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995) and Part 2: Ch 9-16 (Louisville, US: WKJ, 2004)

N.T. Wright, '1 Corinthians' in Paul for Everyone, (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004)

Michael Ramsay, 1 Corinthians 6-10: In Tents Storm of Life: Everything is Permissible but Not Everything is Beneficial. (Swift Current The Salvation Army: Sheepspeak, 01 June 2014) On-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2014/05/1-corinthians-6-10-in-tents-storm-of.html

Michael Ramsay, Matthew 6:25-34: WHU's Blowing Bubbles. Presented to The Alberni Valley Men's Breakfast (Port Alberni. The Salvation Army: Sheepspeak, 16 June 2019) On-line: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/06/matthew-625-34-whus-blowing-bubbles.html

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Isaiah 66: The Emperor is Free of the Palace

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, Port Alberni, BC, by Captain Michael Ramsay on 23 February 2020

Edouard Kitoko Nsiku writes that “While it would be going too far to say that the last chapter of Isaiah is a summary of the book, it does touch on most of the major themes: denunciation of hypocritical worship of the Lord, the restoration of Jerusalem, God’s intervention as both judge and Saviour, and Salvation for Israel and the nations.”[1] Isaiah 66 is an important chapter with which to conclude the book.

  

I remember reading about the Emperor of Japan once during the Samurai era. The people believed that the Emperor was divine so the military powers wouldn’t dare harm him. What they would do instead was that the various warlord Shoguns would fight to control the area around the Emperor’s palace. That way, as they could not rid themselves of the Emperor, they could at least contain him and control who had access to him.

It seems that the same thing was happening at various times in the history of Judah. The ruling classes were seemingly trying to contain YHWH in the Temple on Mount Zion in the capital city of Jerusalem.  Temple worship had become the central focus of the religious practices of the ancient Israelites. It seems that over time some people had come to believe that God himself lived in the Temple of Jerusalem. They should have known better. 1 Kings 8:27 records, at the time of the dedication of the first Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon’s temple; Solomon says: “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” 

But nonetheless some had come to believe that God had been sealed in that Temple well-guarded by the shogunate of their time and place: leaders, the religious authorities and practices of their day. Isaiah opens up this chapter reminding them that this is not true. Isaiah 66 opens with, vv. 1-2a:

This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me? 

Where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the Lord.

God, through Isaiah, reminds us that He made the earth to contain us; we did not make the Temple to contain him. We are contained. He is free. He is the one who is generously supporting us, not the other way around (TSA doctrine 2).[2] 

Verses 3 and 4 speak of some of the rituals that the people had been performing originally, one would presume, to glorify and honour God but here God through Isaiah reminds us that the rituals in and of themselves don’t honour God if we aren’t actually honouring God with the rest of our lives. This would be like if someone broke into your house on your birthday and stole all of your favourite stuff – like your TV or your dog or something – but they left you a birthday cake or a recording of them singing Happy Birthday to you! The rituals, like sacrifices in the Temple or singing Happy Birthday to someone, only matter if we are actually decent the rest of the time.

The Good Guys, Verse 2b, the ones whose sacrifices the Lord does favour are those who are humble and contrite. The Lord favours those who tremble at His Word. The Bad Guys are the ones who not only aren’t humble and contrite and don’t show respect for the Lord – even more – they, Verse 5, exclude those who do fear the Lord.  

It is like a workplace. In the Army, I have a healthy fear of my boss. Tiffany is a nice person but I am not going to do anything to intentionally or carelessly make her mad. Equally as much, I am not going to intentionally disobey or disrespect Jamie. These people have control of my life. They could fire me or transfer me to Newfoundland! God bless The Salvation Army! 

That being said, I have been in workplaces before I was an officer and maybe even heard of a few since where people did not listen to their boss. I have been in workplaces where people intentionally disobeyed their boss. I have been in workplaces where people talked back to their boss. I have even seen people ostracized by fellow employees for actually doing what their boss told them to do! I have seen people decide for themselves how they are going to do their job and refuse to do anything else - even what the boss tells them to! And they don’t care. They don’t fear their boss in the least little bit. I don’t know if you have ever been in a work environment like this where people do not actually do what the boss wants them to do but this is the environment that God through Isaiah is describing here. The Bad Guys don’t respect the boss; they don’t fear God. God says He doesn’t care that they are showing up for work every day if the work they are doing is contrary to the work He wants them to do! This is what God is saying life at the Temple is like.[3] But God says He is not confined to the Temple and He will take action!

Isaiah then goes on to tell us what God is going to do to those bad employees. God is not happy with the people who do not tremble at His Word! He is not happy with those who don't do what they are supposed to do and He is not happy with those who exclude those who do! Using the employer analogy some more: He is going to fire them. Using contemporary Church language He is going to fire them as well only this firing is more significant (TSA doctrine 11). Claus Westermann states about our text here that "This is the earliest idea of hell as a state of perdition".[4]  Don’t worry I am not going to spend a lot of time on the idea of hell here but I do want to point out that God and Isaiah are not happy with those – even the chosen people, even the chosen people in the Temple, even the people chosen as priest and other leaders in God’s Temple – God is not happy with those who don’t actually fear Him, in the way that I described fear earlier. They are not going to be able to disrespect God forever! John Calvin says of Isaiah 40 which can be applied here, “This is a remarkable passage, which teaches us that God is not confined to any people, so as not to choose whomsoever he pleases, by casting off unbelievers whom he formerly called to himself.[5] God is not confined by the Temple or the people of Jerusalem!

Now the whole mid-section of this text speaks about Jerusalem. It is a little confusing at times, I must admit. I did have to read and reread this chapter quite a bit to get the grasp of the flow of it. Verses 7-14 are speaking about a new Jerusalem. They seem to be speaking about the same New Jerusalem that is referred to very, very many years later; in Revelation 22.[6] Revelation has this as the place where heaven and earth come together for eternity as the city descends from the clouds. God, in Isaiah here, speaks of the overflowing shalom, peace, abundance which will overflow in the city. He speaks of this shalom that He will extend to her like a river and the wealth of the nations that will be pouring into this new Jerusalem (v.12). God speaks about how much He loves this new Jerusalem and how the people He loves will be its citizens but to His foes He will show His fury (v.14), anger (v.15) and rebuke with flames of fire. “For with fire and with His sword the LORD will execute judgement on all people and many will be slain by the LORD” (v.16). 

And then God says something very interesting. God says that because the Bad Guys did these bad things in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount, His Holy Hill, Mt. Zion; beyond punishing the Bad Guys something else will happen. Through Isaiah He says, Verse 18, “And I, because of what THEY have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come see my Glory.” Because of what the Bad Guys have done, God will fulfill His promise made to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) that all the nations will be blessed. God can use even the bad we do to accomplish His good. I always find it very interesting that God often has more than one reason and more than one way to do what He says He will do, like tying so many loose ends together into a bow. 

In our Bible Study on Luke the other week we were speaking about how the guests in Jesus’ parable who were invited to the eternal wedding feast declined the invitation and so forfeited their seat at the banquet but in so doing many others came to the eternal feast of Salvation (Luke 14:15-23). God through Isaiah here is saying that even in the disobedience of some of His chosen people He will extend His grace further - to the corners of the earth, inviting people of all the nations to come.[7] 

Now this passage certainly does have some tensions in it. It does introduce some of the language of hell and of ongoing torment but it also speaks of Salvation for all of the nations and that every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Walter Bruggemann asserts that these thoughts aren’t necessarily meant to be reconciled.[8] 

What is important is this: God is not confined to the Temple or anywhere else and He rules His Kingdom. In God’s Kingdom, all who are present, we will have deference and respect for the Lord. In God’s Kingdom, all who are present, we won’t rebel against God’s laws of love and life. In God’s Kingdom, all who are present, we will seek to do His will rather than our own. In God’s proleptic Kingdom, all who are present, we will be humble and contrite.

So then the invitation of our text today is this: we don’t need to spend another moment outside His Kingdom. Today we can humbly and contritely come to Lord and when we do, like a friend of ours, Major David Ivany always says, ‘In the end everything will be alright; so if it isn’t all right then it isn’t the end. With that then I would like to encourage us that even if we are being excluded by people or society as Verse 5 says, even if we are being persecuted, even if we are suffering in all kinds of ways here and now, the Lord will prevail and as we persevere then everything will be alright for He is able, more than able to handle anything that comes our way.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis/

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[1] Edouard Kitoko Nsiku , 'Isaiah', Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010),878.

[2] Cf. Walter Brueggeman, WBC: Isaiah 40-66 (John Knox Press: Louisville, 1998), 251

[3] Cf. Karl Barth, Fragments, Grave and Gay ed., M. Rumscheldt (London: Collins, 1971), 46-47

[4] Claus Westermann, Isaiah 40-66: A Commentary (Translated by David MG Stalker) The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1969, p. 428.

[5] John Calvin, Isaiah IV, 431-432. Available on-line: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/isaiah.html

[6] Walter Brueggeman, WBC: Isaiah 40-66 (John Knox Press:Louisville, 1998), 256.

[7] Edouard Kitoko Nsiku , 'Isaiah', Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), 878

[8] Walter Brueggeman, WBC: Isaiah 40-66 (John Knox Press:Louisville, 1998) 256.